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Titleist Introduces New 816H Hybrids

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. (Sept. 22, 2015) – The new Titleist 816H hybrids provide all golfers with the superior technology and fitting precision for improved long game shot making.

Engineered using the best hybrid technology in the game, the new Titleist 816H1 and 816H2 models utilize Active Recoil Channel™ and Ultra Thin Face technology to generate high speed and low spin for long distance. A high MOI design increases speed across the face for more forgiveness on off-center hits, while an optimized center of gravity (CG) position increases launch and trajectory for more shot-stopping control.

816H1 models are high launching hybrids that fly farther and land soft. 816H1 has a larger profile that provides confidence, with slightly increased face progression that performs well from the rough.

816H2 hybrids have a more compact shape with a slight offset for iron-like shot control for players who engage the turf more aggressively.

Golfers have long thought of hybrids as "rescue clubs" and not "scoring clubs." 816H hybrids change that perception by delivering more speed, higher launch and a steeper landing angle to help players hold the green, stop the ball closer to the pin and create more scoring opportunities. A high performance choice over long irons, 816H hybrids also improve yardage gaps at the long end of the set.

NEW 816 HYBRID TECHNOLOGY: Titleist 816H models deliver an unparalleled combination of distance and forgiveness through the following key technologies:

The Active Recoil Channel – a long, deep channel, positioned along the sole of the club head, close to the leading edge – delivers more distance by actively flexing at impact to launch the ball with lower spin and higher speed. The Active Recoil Channel (ARC™) allows the entire clubface to deflect at impact for high speed. (ARC is particularly effective on hybrids, which are most often hit off the ground with the ball impacting low on the face. Shots hit lower on the face generally produce more spin, which is counteracted by ARC.)

An Ultra Thin Face works in combination with the Active Recoil Channel to deliver increased ball speed across the entire face. The high-speed, constant thickness face insert, made of high-strength Carpenter steel, is the thinnest face insert Titleist R&D has ever developed.

A precise High-MOI Design with a low CG delivers stability and forgiveness by preserving ball speed across the face for distance consistency on off center hits. (H1’s MOI is 7 percent higher than the previous generation 915H model, while H2 has a similar MOI to the 915Hd.) Improved CG locations (slightly deeper, and lower in H2) increase launch up to 1º for more shot stopping control. A heavier standard SureFit Tour Weight (11g), which concentrates more weight in a low, central position behind the Active Recoil Channel on each model, helps optimize CG properties.

“The Active Recoil Channel has revolutionized distance for us across our entire metals line and really pushes us ahead of the pack in the hybrid category,” said Dan Stone, Vice President, Titleist Golf Club R&D. “But distance is still only one part of the equation. Golfers, now more than ever, are relying on their hybrids to hit precise golf shots and help them create more scoring opportunities. Our R&D philosophy of ‘distance and forgiveness’ ensures that we take the entire shot into consideration, not only how far it goes. 816 provides golfers with complete, consistent performance – the distance to consistently reach the green, the trajectory to stop the ball on the green closer to the hole, and the forgiveness that delivers similar results even when the strike is off center. We haven’t made any sacrifices.”

IMPROVED DISTANCE GAPPING: The 816H hybrid line offers loft choices every two degrees from 19º to 27º and delivers improved long game yardage gapping, whether a golfer carries one, two or three hybrids.

“For most golfers, long irons become more difficult to hit and produce shorter distances than desired. 816 hybrids extend those distances and really allow us to bridge that gap between the longest iron and the fairway wood,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Director, Titleist Metalwood Development. “Following extensive research and player testing, it’s our recommendation that the majority of players use 4-degree loft gaps to create the appropriate distance gaps. That’s why we offer 2-degree loft increments, which gives us three pairs of hybrids (19º and 23º; 21º and 25º; and 23º and 27º) spaced in 4-degree increments. And for the player who truly loves hybrids and prefers them over fairways woods, there is the option to carry three hybrids (19º, 23º and 27º).”

816H hybrids feature a new SureFit Tour hosel configuration that adjusts loft and lie independently in 1º increments (as compared to .75º increments on 915). The 1º increments mirror the adjustments typically made to irons, while allowing more fitting flexibility for players to try the same lofts at different shaft lengths. The adjustable SureFit Flatweight (available in 6, 9, 11, 13 and 16 gram weights) provides further flexibility when fitting different loft and length options.

“In the past, golfers looking to replace a long iron only had one hybrid loft option. With 816, the number of choices has grown significantly,” Luttrell said. “For example, when replacing a 4-iron with an 816 hybrid, golfers can test both the 23º and 25º models, providing two different lofts at different lengths. Using the SureFit Tour hosel, both lofts can also be adjusted to 24º, providing the same loft option at different lengths. In addition, using interchangeable shafts and weights, the longer length shaft in the 23º can be tested in the 25º, while the shorter length shaft in the 25º can be tested in the 23º. A skilled fitter will employ all of these options to quickly dial in a golfer’s setup.”

816H1 has a large, confidence-inspiring profile with a slight face progression for golfers that need enhanced launch and prefer a fairway metal look. The larger H1 head size effectively parts grass through impact, providing outstanding performance from the rough.

816H2 has a smaller, pear profile for launch and trajectory control with a slight offset for more aggressive players that engage the turf. H2 produces 150-300rpm less spin for a flatter flight.

“H1 is our all around hybrid. It has more face progression and behaves like a small fairway metal,” Luttrell said. “We recommend H1 for the player who’s more of a sweeper and a little bit shallower in terms of their turf interaction. And also the player with a more moderate club speed, because H1 does generate more spin than the H2 which will keep the ball in the air longer for more distance.”

“H2 is more of our iron-type hybrid. It has less face progression which visually looks like a slight offset and leads to players attacking it with a more descending iron-type blow,” Luttrell said. “We’ve also made the head slightly larger than the 915Hd by lengthening the face, which provides more confidence in the address position.”

IMPROVED TURF INTERACTION: 816H hybrids have relieved sole edges that improve turf interaction for increased feel and playability. New beveled edges on the Active Recoil Channel, in addition to a relieved leading edge, help the club glide through the turf cleanly.

STRIKING NEW LOOKS: 816 hybrids have a new contrasting color scheme with a gray crown and a black PVD face and sole.

“We wanted to differentiate 816 hybrids as its own category,” Luttrell said, “and this cosmetic change has been positively accepted both with amateurs and our tour staff.”

816H hybrids also feature improvements to the face appearance. Enhanced hosel masking and flatter bulge gives the club a much more square appearance in the address position.

816H HYBRIDS ON TOUR: More than 40 players across the worldwide professional tours have switched to new 816H hybrids since the start of the tour seeding and validation process, including Jordan Spieth, who put a new 816H2 21º model in play at the World Golf Championships event at Firestone. Other players that have already switched to 816H models include Robert Streb, Victor Dubuisson, Zac Blair and Brendon De Jonge.

WHAT PLAYERS ARE SAYING…

Jordan Spieth: “The new 816, with the silver head and black face, is a really cool looking hybrid. It’s really clean, really crisp. When I strike it, it shoots off the face nicely. It goes a little higher than my 915 hybrid, and a little bit further. If you’re going to hit it a little higher and further, ultimately that’s enough to make a golfer really pleased. When you mishit a hybrid, you need it to stay on line, still get up in the air and to still go far enough – and that’s what 816 does.”

Ian Poulter: “I love my hybrids. A lot of guys only use one hybrid, but I transitioned away from a 4-iron into a 4-hybrid a while ago. Based on my early testing I can tell that 816 hybrids are definitely scoring clubs. I get the extra benefit of the higher ball flight, whether it’s from the rough or even if it’s from the fairway. When it lands on the green, I get it to stop a lot quicker than if I was using a 4-iron. If it’s a tuck pin, I’ve still got the beauty of actually landing it tight to the pin and having it stop quickly. Versatility is there as well. I can use it from the fairway, I can use it from the rough. It nicks through the rough nicely. I get the help with the ball picking up nice and quick, and again it stops very quickly from the rough.